Kathryn Benintendi
Craig LaVerne Carey
William H. Kirkpatrick
Chuck Morris
Paul E. Ransom
Robert Seevers
Jack O. Thompson
Kathryn Benintendi
(April 14, 1924 - Aug. 10, 2008)
Kathryn “Katie” Benintendi, 84, died Aug. 10, 2008, at her home in Baker City surrounded by her family.
Her memorial graveside service will be held today, Thursday, Aug. 14, at Mount Hope Cemetery. Sister Kay Marie Duncan of Pathway Hospice will officiate.
Kathryn was born to Rebecca and John Paulson in Ontario, Ore., on April 14, 1924. She was one of nine children and attended schools in Ontario. She met Cecil Benintendi at church and married him on June 28, 1941, at the age of 17. They moved to Baker City in 1952.
She held a variety of jobs throughout her life including the lime plant on Wingville Road, a box factory, Wendt’s flowers, school bus driver and then she worked at Sears for 24 years. After retiring from Sears, she worked for Arrow and Wards. Her final job was partnering with her husband the “cool man” in a refrigeration business.
Her hobbies included yard work, fishing, camping, bowling and having coffee with her friends. Her friends always enjoyed her sense of humor and positive attitude. She loved to socialize and always attended the parades; she especially enjoyed the Elk’s Drum and Bugle Corp. She welcomed her family home to enjoy the Miners’ Jubilee every year.
She was preceded in death by her husband Cecil last year after celebrating 66 years of marriage.
She is survived by five children: Cecil Terry and his wife Hazel of Huntington, Stan and his wife Susan of Corbett, Jerry of Baker City, Paula of Baker City, and Tim and his wife Rita of Fairview; 12-grandchildren; 19-great-grandchildren; three sisters all living in the Ontario area: Joan Sanders, Darlene Lane and Mary Lee Burgess and her husband Ralph.
Memorial contributions can be made to Relay for Life through Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Craig LaVerne Carey
(April 18, 1953 - Aug. 10, 2008)
Craig LaVerne Carey, 55, of Baker City died Aug. 10, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Health Services with Tenee, his dearest love present.
Visitation was held on Wednesday, Aug. 13 from 6-7 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. A memorial service will be held today, Thursday, Aug. 14, at 10:30 a.m. at the McEwen Bible Fellowship Church near Sumpter.
Craig was born on April 18, 1953, at the Mountain Home Air Base in Mountain Home, Idaho to Marion and Marian Carey. He grew up in Grangeville, Idaho where he attended school and received his GED.
After high school, he joined the Army Air Corp and served 10 months in Vietnam on a helicopter as an open-door gunner. In 1976-77, he attended Lewis-Clark College in Lewiston, Idaho, and received his diploma in Auto-body and general business.
He married Darlene Uptmor on Aug. 4, 1979, in Keuterville, Idaho. They were later divorced.
He lived in the Spokane, Wash. area and worked as an auto-body mechanic before coming to Sumpter. He was employed by Dave DeRoest Construction for a short time.
His career and work ethics ended with three major accidents, the first one in 1994, the second in 2003, and the most recent in September 2007. Disability and pain has been his daily lifestyle the past 14 years from of the accidents, which he dealt with at ease.
Craig loved the outdoors and the woods. In his early years, he was active in the Boy Scouts being only one merit away from his Eagle badge. He enjoyed camping and being with his friends and family.
He is survived by his two daughters: Christine Carol Carey of Baltimore, Md. and Leslie Imelda Carey of Portland, Ore.; father Marion Carey of Boise, Idaho; mother Marian Robb and her husband Wayne of Sumpter, Ore., brother, Ricky Dale Carey, Sr. of Baker City; foster sister, Becky Trainer of Grangeville, Idaho; brother-in-law, Walter Pilot of Gresham, Ore.; dear friend Tenee Cashmere of Baker City, Ore.; two nieces, Lindsey Pilot of Gresham, Ore., and Melissa Morris of Baker City, Ore.; three nephews, Ricky Carey, Jr. of Baker City, Christopher Carey of Baker City and Michael Carey of Muskegon, Mich.; and many aunts, uncles, relatives and friends who all were so special to him and supportive of him.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Carol Rae Pilot.
Arrangements are in the care of Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel.
William H. Kirkpatrick
(June 7, 1919 - July 25, 2008)
William H. (Bill) Kirkpatrick, 89, died Friday July 25, 2008, at his home. Memorial services for Bill will be held Aug. 19, 2008, at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Pastor Susan Barnes will officiate. A reception will be held following the service at American Legion Post #41.
Bill was born June 7, 1919, to Chauncey and Elizabeth (Jaehn) Kirkpatrick. He was known to all as "Uncle Bill." He graduated from Baker High School in 1938.
Bill was attending the University of Oregon in 1941, his senior year. The events of Dec. 7 caused the fast forwarding of his graduation. The nation needed Reserve Officers and Bill was now a newly minted 2nd Lieutenant on Dec. 19, 1941. Bill selected the Army Air Corps and started flight training at bases all over the United States. This training culminated in his assignment flying B-17 heavy bombers with the Eighth Air Forces 384 Bomb Groups at Grafton Underwood, England during 1944.
Bill was by then promoted to Captain and completed 31 combat missions with 115 hours of combat flying over Europe. He named his Boeing B-17 the “Dark Angel.” Bill was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal (three oak leaf clusters) and the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal (two Bronze stars).
1945 brought Bill an early discharge because he was selected by Pan American Airways for employment flying as a civilian in Asia and the Middle East. He was the 500th pilot hired by Pan Am when the war was over. Bill continued his career with Pan American Airways until his retirement in 1978.
Bill was a member of the V.F.W., American Legion, Eagles, Elks and Delta Upsilon Fraternity at the University of Oregon.
His survivors include his sister-in-law, Anne Kirkpatrick of Baker City, Ore.; nieces, Susan Lewis, husband Brent and daughter Nicole of La Grande, Ore.; Kathy Kirkpatrick and her daughter Ruth of St. Petersburg, Fla.; nephew John Kirkpatrick, wife Jeanie, daughter and son-in-law, Cara and Tim Snell, and son Kevin Kirkpatrick. Dana and Kim Kutsch, Jefferson, Ore.; niece, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, nephew, Ryan Kirkpatrick and nephew Adam Kirkpatrick and his wife Kelsey.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Bruce and his nephew Bill.
Memorial contributions in Bill’s memory may be directed to Parish Nurse Program of Baker Presbyterian Church. This may be done through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place Street, Baker City, OR 97814.
Chuck Morris
(March 20, 1918 - July 28, 2008)
Robert Charles “Chuck” Morris, 90, of La Grande, died July 28, 2008, at his property at Wallowa Lake.
His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Elks Club in La Grande. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City.
Chuck was born on March 20, 1918, in Haines to Edward Jenkins and Fanny Ann Borton Morris. He was a Haines High School graduate and became an engineer for the railroad.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in August 1943. He married Mary Jean Metcalf on Nov. 9, 1945, at Baker City. The couple moved to Seattle, Wash., while he was in the service.
He was honorably discharged in 1946, and he and Mary returned to Baker City. They moved to La Grande in 1950. In 1965, they purchased property at Wallowa Lake and started to build their dream cabin.
Mary Jean and Chuck were proud to say that they did all the construction, except the electrical work. Once completed, they spent all their free time enjoying a job well done with family and friends.
Chuck was a 50-year member of the La Grande Elks Lodge and a member of the Baker Elks Lodge.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Mary Jean who died in 2004; sister, Clara; and brothers, Frederick and Raymond.
Survivors include his daughter, Judy and her husband, Jim Rygg, of La Grande; two grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends.
Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory of La Grande is in charge of arrangements.
Paul E. Ransom
(Sept. 30, 1924 - Aug. 8, 2008)
Former Milton-Freewater resident, Paul E. Ransom, 83, died Aug. 8, 2008, at Rose Cottage, an adult care facility, in Kennewick, Wash.
The memorial service will be 2 p.m., Friday, Aug.15, 2008, at Mountain View-Colonial DeWitt, 1551 Dalles Military Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Pastor Roger Holden will officiate. A reception will follow at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the New Bridge Church of the Nazarene in New Bridge, Oregon or Tri Cities Hospice through the funeral home.
Mr. Ransom was born Sept. 30, 1924, in Walla Walla, to Ernest and Lou Hahn Ransom. He attended elementary school on Government Mountain then the Forks School on the Walla Walla River. He started high school in Prescott, Wash. His family then moved to Elma, Wash., where he graduated from high school in 1941.
He and Merle Chapman were married in Elma, and they had two children, Jerry and Linda. He was married to Helen Crouse in Ellensburg, Wash., and they had four children: Calvin, Paula, Ernie and Kimberli. He then married Carol Cunningham in Nyssa, Ore.
A farmer and cattle rancher, he raised purebred Charolais in Milton-Freewater and both Charolais and commercial cattle in Richland, Ore. He enjoyed horseback riding, hunting, and pack horse trips into the Eagle Cap Wilderness and Hell’s Canyon. He was privileged to travel with his church on mission trips to Africa, Guatemala, the Samoan Islands, and the Philippines. He was an ardent supporter of the 4-H and Future Farmers of America and was a recipient of the Oregon State Honorary Chapter Farmer and State Farmer degrees.
He was a member of the New Bridge Nazarene Church in Richland, Ore., director of the Western Charolais Association, past president of the Oregon Charolais Association and served on the school board in Pleasant View for 10 years.
Paul is survived by two daughters: Paula Johnson of Pasco, Wash., and Kim Ransom of Portland, Ore.; two step-daughters: Dena Morgan of Bemidji, Minn. and Amber Johnson of Summerville, Ore.; two sons: Calvin Ransom of Richland, Ore., and Ernie Ransom of La Grande, Ore.; three step-sons: Jason Blade of Florida, Michael Cunningham of Germany, and Taul Cumningham also of La Grande, Ore.; 11 grandchildren 13 great-grandchildren, 11 step-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a son, Jerry; daughter, Linda; and three brothers: Kenneth, Frank, and Gerald.
Robert Seevers
(March 18, 1935 - Aug. 8, 2008)
Robert “Bob” Edward Seevers, 75, passed away surrounded by his family on Aug. 8, 2008, in Gresham, Ore.
Bob was born to Helen Schutt and Clifford Seevers on March 18, 1935. He grew up in Richland, Ore., graduating from Eagle Valley High School in 1953. He served in the Army from 1954-1956. After earning his doctorate in Chemistry at Oregon State University, he taught at Southern Oregon University until his retirement in 1993.
Bob returned every summer to backpack and fly fish in the Wallowas, and enjoyed many fall hunts in Eastern Oregon. He was a beautiful back country telemark skier, and skied throughout the Northwest, including the Wallowas, Mount Ashland, Mount McLaughlin, the Three Sisters and Mount Hood. He also skied Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen in California, and enjoyed hut-to-hut skiing in Colorado and Canada.
He is survived by his wife, Yvonne Rauch; his four children and their spouses, Steve Seevers and Karen Poverny, Becky and Doug Cowan, Bradley and Sheila Seevers, Scott Seevers and Krissy Shepherd; their mother, Joan Seevers; his sister and brother-in-law Sue and Archie Leathers; grandchildren Samantha, Cameron and Mackenzie Cowan, and Josie and Travis Seevers; and friends since childhood, Max Henry and Coy Riggs.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers James and Richard Seevers, and his sister Ruby Blank.
A graveside service was held on Wednesday, Aug. 13, at 11 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City. Arrangements are by Cole’s Funeral Home, 1950 Place Street, Baker City, OR 97814.
The service was followed by a picnic at Geiser Pollman Park in Baker City. A future memorial service is planned for September in Ashland, Ore.
Jack O. Thompson
(Sept. 12, 1926 - Aug. 10, 2008)
Jack O. Thompson, 81, of Baker City died Aug. 10, 2008, at home with his faithful dog Dutch at his feet.
At his request, there will be no funeral service. Interment will take place at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery in Milton-Freewater, Ore.
Mr. Thompson, the youngest son of Bress Thompson and Annie Bowyer Thompson, was born Sept. 12, 1926, in Wallowa, Ore. He graduated from McLoughlin Union High School in Milton-Freewater, Ore., in 1944. He served proudly in both the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps during the late 1940s and 1950s. He was stationed in California and in Asia.
He also served in the Oregon State Patrol. After transitioning to civilian life, his work as a chief purchasing agent for a worldwide construction company allowed him to travel to the Middle East and both Central and South America. His work also took him to Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and West Virginia, where he shared great times with members of his mother’s family.
Mr. Thompson loved the outdoors and his dogs. Upon his retirement and move to Milton-Freewater, Ore., he spent time exploring the Blue Mountains with his dog Rip. Mr. Thompson eventually settled in Baker City and enjoyed countless hikes with his dog Rowdy and later, Dutch, exploring the local countryside.
Mr. Thompson is survived by his sister Hazel Thompson Greenwood of Bellingham, Wash., and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by sisters, Edith “Teenie” Thompson, Mabel Knosp, Lois Wilson, and Lida Harrington, and brothers Herb Thompson, Eb Thompson, Richard Thompson, and Lon Thompson.
Memorial contributions can be made to “Best Friends of Baker” pet rescue in care of Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chapel 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
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